Written Answers Tuesday 12 September 2006

Scottish Executive

Digital Technology

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs of providing small inaccessible communities with broadband connections via satellite links are, as compared to wired links via distant telephone exchanges.

Nicol Stephen: Broadband has been delivered to every Scottish community, as defined using Census Output Areas.

  However, we recognise there are still some households or businesses who remain without access. The costs and viability of satellite or other technical solutions to this issue are currently being explored as part of a study we are undertaking with independent consultants. This work will be completed shortly.

Digital Technology

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the aid provided by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to BT was specifically intended to support broadband connections for the smallest and most telephonically inaccessible communities.

Nicol Stephen: For clarification it is the Executive that has the contract with BT which provides funding support to extend broadband access. The contract, worth £16.5 million, has all been geared towards Scotland’s rural and remote communities. It has delivered the broadband enablement of 378 telephone exchanges and fulfilled the Executive’s commitment to ensure access for every Scottish community, as defined using Census Output Areas.

Digital Technology

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it offers any grants to individuals or businesses for satellite broadband in areas that are unable to receive cable broadband or whether it has any plans to offer such grants.

Nicol Stephen: We do not currently operate such a scheme.

  The Executive is working with independent technical consultants to examine the areas where individuals and businesses are out of reach of broadband, as well as the viability of potential technological solutions, including satellite. The results of this work will be available shortly and thereafter appropriate action will be taken.

Energy

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that there are sufficient people with skills to install woodchip and pellet boilers in homes and public buildings as demand for biomass heating systems expands, in light of increasing fossil fuel prices.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish School of Forestry in Inverness received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) for a training facility and will provide courses on biomass heating, including boiler installation. HIE also provide funding for the Ignite wood fuel training programme for new and existing wood fuel businesses. We are developing a capital grant support scheme for the installation of biomass boilers which, along with the work of three Wood Fuel Officers, funded by the Executive, should increase the local supply of and demand for wood fuel, leading to an increase in the number of installers and a growth in the biomass market.

Enterprise

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new business start-ups there were per 10,000 head of population in each year since 1997.

Nicol Stephen: Data on the number of VAT registrations are released annually by the Small Business Service, an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. These figures are used to monitor the number of business start-ups.

  The following table shows the rate of VAT registrations per 10,000 resident adults in Scotland from 1997 to 2004:

  

Year
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Rate
31
29
28
28
27
27
29
29



  Source: Small Business Service, DTI.

  Please note that these figures do not account for all business activity as only companies with a turnover above the VAT threshold are required to register. The VAT threshold is increased each year. It was £48,000 in 1997 increasing to £58,000 in 2004.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it has not sent in a task force to assist Edinburgh Crystal in continuing in production in response to my request to the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.

Nicol Stephen: It will be for the administrator to decide on the future of the business. I understand that the company continues to trade and that the aim is to sell it as a going concern.

  The Partnership for Action on Continuing Employment (PACE) team is monitoring the situation closely to ensure that if employees are affected, they will receive the necessary support.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what role Scottish Enterprise is playing with regard to Edinburgh Crystal.

Nicol Stephen: As part of the Partnership for Action on Continuing Employment (PACE) team, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian will contribute to action to ensure that if employees are affected by the situation, they receive the necessary support.

Housing

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable houses have been built in each year since 1996 in the (a) Shetland Islands, (b) Orkney Islands, (c) Highland, (d) Western Isles, (e) Argyll and Bute and (f) Moray Council areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: The principal mechanism for funding affordable housing is currently the Communities Scotland Development Programme. Table 1 shows the number of completions of new and improved dwellings for social rent or low cost home ownership funded from the Development Programme, while table 2 shows the number of approvals.

  Table 1 Unit completions from the Communities Scotland Development Programme: 1998-99 to 2005-06

  

 
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


Argyll and Bute
226
52
150
77
84
59
114
226


Eilean Siar
19
4
40
22
3
22
56
19


Highland
92
134
236
156
173
202
263
92


Moray
53
36
41
25
2
55
178
53


Orkney Islands
53
24
32
68
26
103
46
53


Shetland Islands
19
59
15
25
3
84
6
19



  Source: Communities Scotland.

  Note: 1. Data prior to 1998-99 cannot be broken down by local authority.

  Table 2 Unit Approvals from the Communities Scotland Development Programme: 1996-97 to 2005-06

  

 
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


Argyll and Bute
204
56
123
131
76
70
79
89
307
198


Eilean Siar
32
3
28
16
24
40
2
60
48
56


Highland
197
145
176
161
294
182
246
268
267
692


Moray
51
61
22
56
35
10
4
92
159
222


Orkney Islands
50
52
8
73
52
75
48
72
42
56


Shetland Islands
20
49
21
38
7
40
7
38
59
18



  Source: Communities Scotland.

Housing

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses have been built in each year since 1996 in the (a) Shetland Islands, (b) Orkney Islands, (c) Highland, (d) Western Isles, (e) Argyll and Bute and (f) Moray Council areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the number of dwellings completed in all sectors.

  New Dwellings Completed in all Sectors: 1996-97 to 2005-06

  

 
 1996-97
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


Argyll and Bute
308
409
172
172
272
246
144
356
382
391


Eilean Siar
94
114
86
70
73
80
134
75
111
166


Highland
1,009
968
801
1,255
977
680
927
879
881
937


Moray
456
349
122
316
258
398
393
296
443
541


Orkney Islands
34
17
41
40
57
109
130
73
136
93


Shetland Islands
76
77
118
91
228
98
95
53
98
69



  Source: New build returns submitted by local authorities to the Scottish Executive Development Department Analytical Services Division (Housing Statistics).

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of mental illness and mental health problems is among students and what trends have been identified in relation to this issue.

Nicol Stephen: Students enrolling in higher education institutions and colleges are asked on a voluntary basis to state which disabilities, if any, they have.

  The number of higher education students declaring a mental health difficulty is published annually on the internet at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/DataHEbyAgeGenderDisabil.

  The data for the last three years for higher education institutions and colleges is summarised in the following table.

  Students Declaring a Mental Health Difficulty

  

Academic Year
HEIs
FECs*


2002-03
405
2,865


2003-04
525
3,055


2004-05
650
3,485



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Funding Council.

  Notes:

  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.

  *Vocational enrolments in further education colleges.